Method of interoducing fuel into an open hearth furnace



19391 L. s. LONGE NECKER 2,182,498

METHOD OF INTRODUCING FUEL INTO AN OPEN HEARTH FURNACE I Original Filed Sept. 23, 19:57 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 fay? 62mm m D c 93 's. LONGENECK ER 2,132,498

METHOD OF INTRODUCING FUEL INTO AN OPEN HEARTH FURNACE Original Filed Sept. 23'. 193'? ShefLs-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Dec. 5, 1939. .-s. LONGENECKER 2,182,493

- METHOD OF INTRODUGHG'FUEL INTO AN 'CPEN HEARTH FURNACE Oljiginai Filed Sept. 23, 19:57 5 Sheets-Sheet s Wafer C/mmben Wafer Chamber INVENTOR Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT oFrlcE METHOD or rs'monucme FUEL nv'ro AN' OPEN rmaa'rn FURNACE Levi S. Longenecker, Mount Lebanon, Pa. Original application September 23, 1937, Serial Divided and this application March 9, 1939, Serial No. 260,717

11 Claims. (01. 7H3) This is a division of an application filed by me on September 23, 1937 and serially Numbered 165,254 andrelates to a. method of introducing fuel into metallurgical furnaces of the open hearth type. v

In the making of steel in a metallurgical furnace of the open hearth type, there are two distinct phases or stages of operation. The first is the melting down stage in which the charge, such as steel scrap or other forms of steel, is reduced froma solid to a molten state, and the second stage in which the molten steel is refined.

The furnace should be operated differently during the melting stage than it is during the refining stage,'because, for efllcient operation, a short, intense flame of the non-luminous or blow torch type, which will liberate the maximum amount of heat possible in a short distance of travel, is desirable to rapidly melt the charge, while in the refining stage a relatively long soft flame of the luminous type, which travels substantially the full length of the furnace and acts upon the delayed combustion principle in which the heat is liberated slowly, is desired to remove the impurities from the molten steel.

However, at the present time, to the best of my knowledge, all metallurgical furnaces of the open hearth type are fired during both the melting down stage and the refining stage, from conventional end ports which necessitates a long flame travel and the same burner arrangements-which project through the end ports-are used in each stage to direct the flame lengthwise of the furnace adjacent the roof or top arch'thereof.

The primary object of this invention is .to materially reduce the time required for the melting down of the charge and thus to increase the steel output of the furnace, and I accomplish this object by using a portable burner unit, as an auxiliary to the conventional end burners; and which is adapted to be installed in one or more of the charging openings in the side of the furnace and which has one or more burners therein for directing a flame or series of flames of the blow torch type directly against the chargein the furnace, whereby said flame or series-of flames will tunnel into the charge and produce the equivalent of underflring.

Another object of the invention is to provide a These and other objects which will hereinafter be made apparent to those skilled in this particular art I accomplish by the method described and illustrated herein.

In the drawings: c

Figure 1 is a view partially in side elevation and 5 partially in section, of a metallurgical furnace equipped with a portable burner for usein carrying out the method of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line Il-II of Fig. 1;, A 10 Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the furnace side of my portable burner unit;

Fig. 4 isan elevation of the'outer side 'of the portable unit showing the fuel and airlines and the manifold arrangement of the burners and having a portion thereof broken away to showthe refractory supporting members;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the relation of my portable burner unit to the door of a furnace and is taken on-the line VV of 20 Fi 4; a a

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line VI' VI of Fig. 5 and illustrates-the frame of the portable burner unit and the refractory supporting members; and 25 Fig. 7 is an exploded view in perspective of a refractory hanger and hanger-supporting member of the portable bumer'unit.

In the drawings, it represents a metallurgical furnace of the open hearth type having arefrac of the furnace I0 is provided with a continuous 35 v and unobstructed charging opening l5 which extends substantially throughout the full length of the furnace. Charging opening 15 is normally closed by a series of refractory-lined doors l6 which are capable of being raised toopen the 40 charging opening and each door I6 is provided with a raising and lowering mechanism I! of any desired construction. When the doors l6 are equal to the width of all the doors raised. The I doors i5 and the seals iii are preferably of the type illustrated in my United States Patent No.

2,045,662, dated June. 30, 1936.

The ends of the furnace III are closed by. end-- walls is having ports 20 therein for receiving that the flames travel lengthwise of the furnace underneath the roof or arch l2, as is typical in present furnace construction. While only one end wall I9 is shown, it is understood that the other end wall is similar thereto and is likewise provided with a burner port.

The present invention relates particularly to a l 10 method of introducing fuel into open hearth fur-- naces and in carrying out such method I utilize a portable burner unit 25 which is adapted to be placed in the charging opening- I5 for directing a flame of the blow torch type directly against 'a charge which has been previously. introduced through the charging opening I5 and which rests on the furnace hearth 22. While the portable burner unit 25 may be of any desired length, I prefer to make it of a length substantially equal to the width of one or a multiple of doors, so that when the unit is positioned in the furnace, the ends of the unit will abut against the edges of the doors adjacent thereto without leavingany substantial opening or space therebetween.

Portable burner unit 25 comprises, in general, an outer metallic frame which supports a series of refractory blocks forming the inner or furnace side of the unit. The frame is of built up con struction and includes an air duct 26, a fuel duct 2|-both of which extend lengthwise of the unit adjacent the. top and bottom thereof, respective-. lyangle irons 28 and 29 attached to the bottom of the air duct and top of the fuel duct, respectively, and a seriesof vertically extending and horizontally spaced castings 30 having ears 30a which are bolted to the angle irons. The top of the air duct 26, which is built up of angles and plates welded together, is welded to a plate 3| which, in turn is bolted to lugs 36b on the sides of the castings 30, and the bottom of the fuel duct 21, which as shown is of built up construction and is supported on the feet 32 of the castings 30.

Castings 30 are preferably of substantially closed channel shape'in section and have their inner faces adjacent the top thereof cut away, as at 300,

to provide access to the interior of the castings,

whereby refractories 33 may be suspended from the castings 30 by means of hangers 33a which have a refractory engaging portion 33b and a 50 head 33c'adapted to slide in they casting 30. Re-

fractories 33 are preferably of the interlocking type and the bottom tier thereof is supported directly on the feet 32 of the castings 30.

Pipes 35 and 36 are respectively connected to the air duct 26 and the fuel duct 21, at any desired intervals along the length thereof, for establishing communication between said ducts and a series of burners 31. The fuel and air idelivered to each burner-31 are mixed together therein and directed into a burner collar 38--one for each' burner-which extends into a port 39 in a re fractory burner block 46.

In carrying out the method of this invention in the manufacture of steel in an open hearth furnace, a steel forming charge, such as scrap or other suitable material, is introduced intothe furnace |0 through the charging opening I5-the doors I6 then being raised-and piled on the hearth 22 of the furnace. After the furnace has been charged, one or more doors: |6-carrying with them the seals 8 and having a combined width equal to the length of the burner unit 25, are

- raised and the burner unit 25 is then placed in the charging opening I 5 with the ends thereof abutting against the sides of the-closed d s t each end thereof and the bottom supported on the sill of the charging opening.

With the burner unit 25 in this position, the open doors l6 are lowered into engagement with the top of the burner unit to seal the same. Members ll having beveled inner surfaces are provided on the top of the burner unit and are adapted to engage and cooperate with the bottoms of the doors |6 to guide the same to proper sealing position on the unit. The portable burner unit 25 is also provided at each end with an upwardly and inwardly projecting member 62. These members are adapted to engage the front of the furnace and aid in holding the unit in proper position within the charging opening I 5.

After the portable burner unit 25 has been positioned in the charging opening I5 and the doors |6 lowered to seat on the top thereof, the air duct 26 and the fuel duct 21 are connected to suitable sources of air and fuel, respectively, whereby fuel and air are delivered through pipes 35-36 to the manifolds 31 and directed into the burners 38. Since the fuel and air are premixed,

a blow torch-like flame issues from each burner.

These burners are so spaced that a ribbon-like flame is provided and directed on the face of the charge exposed to the charging opening l5. At the same time, flames from the end port burners2| are directed lengthwise of the furnace to heat the top of the charge and the roof or arch of the furnace. If desired, air and fuel ducts 26 and25 of the portable unit 25 may be connected to the same source of supply as the end port burners 2| whereby a portion of the fuel delivered to the end ports will be diverted to the burners 38, or, the ducts 26--2'I may be connected to auxiliary sources of supply whereby ad- I ditional-fuel will be introduced into the furnace through the burners 38.

-- hearth. These cut tunnels into the charge and provide a condition equivalent to underfiring the charge.

As the charging opening I5 is below the end port burners 2|, it is apparent that the high velocity flames entering the furnace through the burners 38 will be below the flames issuing from the end port burners 2| and will travel at substantially right angles to the end port flames. Consequently, the flame from the end port burners not only acts as a shield and prevents the high velocity blow torch-like flames from burners 38 from impinging against the furnace arch but aids in confining such flames to the charge.

After the melt-down has been completed, the portable unit 25 is removed from the furnace, the doors l6 are closed and the refining procedure is carried on in the usual manner; the flames for the refining period being restricted entirely to the end burners 2|.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that by means of my method, the speed of melting downa charge in the furnace is not only materially increased but a shorter length of time is required for the melt-down and, consequently, the steel output,

ers are removed when not in use, wear and tear on the burners and the wall exposed to the hot inside temperature. of the furnace is eliminated.

While I have illustrated the air duct 26, fuel duct 21, the angles 28 -29 and members 30 as,

forming the structural steel framework on which 1 the refractory tiles, castings and burners are sup= ported, it is to be understood that any type of! framework may be employed for supporting the refractories and that the ducts for introducing tilted forward or backward to vary its vertical position by merely placing wedges between the bottom of the unit and the sill of the charging opening, to direct the ribbon-like flames issuing from the burners 38 against the charge in any desired direction. i

, It should be understood that'while I have disclosed my. method in connection with the opera- ,tion'of an open hearth furnace having a continuous and unobstructed charging opening in the front wall thereof, it may also be practiced in connection with the conventionaLtype of open hearth furnace m which the front wan thereof is provided with a plurality of door openings separated by door jambs. In the conventional type of'furnace, individual doors are employed for closing the openings defined by the door jambs in the front wall thereof. Whenmy portable burner unit is to be used with such conventional type of furnace, the unit is made of a width substantially equal to the width of the door opening and one unit is installed in each door opening or in as many of the door openings as may be desired. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat cut is:

1. In an open hearth steel method, the steps of melting down a charge by intense-flame of low luminosity)directed against at least one side of the charge and refining with luminous flame alternately directed from opposite ends lengthwise of the furnace. 2. In an openhearth' furnace method, the steps of melting'down a charge with a series of intense flflames of relatively low luminosity directed transrected from opposite ends lengthwise of the fur- 4. In the art of open hearth steel manufacture. the steps comprising melting the charge by a series of relatively short intense non-luminous flames projected transversely of the furnace and into the side of the charge, and Manning by'relatively soft luminous flame directed longitudinally of the furnace, flrst from one end and thenfro the other end thereof. 1 r

5, In theart ofmaking' steel in an open hearth furnace, the steps which comprise depositing a charge upon the furnace hearth, subjectingthe charge to the action of a short intense flame directed against the side of the charge, and simultaneously therewith in subjecting the charge to the action of a flame of the delayed combustion type directed longitudinally of the furnace and between the furnace roof and such'charge.

I 6. In theart of making steel in an open hearth furnace, thesteps which comprise depositing a charge upon the'furnace hearth, in subjecting the charge to the action of a short intense flame directed into oneside of the charge, and simultaneously therewith'in subjecting the charge tov the action of a flame of the delayed combustion type directed longitudinally of the furnace above such charge. I

7. Inthe art of making steel in an open hearth furnace, the steps which comprise, feeding a charge in a solid state onto the hearth of'such a furnace, melting such charge by-directing a non-luminous flame into the side, thereof and simultaneously therewith in directing a luminous flame over the top of said charge and at right angles to saidnon-luminous flame to confine the non-luminous flame to the charge and prevent it from impinging against the furnace roof, in extinguishing said non-luminous flame and continuing the luminous flame to refine the molten metal. I v 8. In the art of making steel in an open hearth ,furnace, the steps which comprise depositing. a charge on the hearth of such a furnace, directing a short non-luminous flame directly against .a

side of said charge and simultaneously therewithfurnace, subjecting such-charge to the action of the two flames, one of which passes along the top of the charge and the other of whichimpinges against the'side of the charge, extinguishing the side impinging flame after the melt down and continuing the other to refine the molten metal.

10. In the art of making steel in an open hearth furnace, the steps which comprise directing a high velocity blow torch-like flame into such a furnace from at least oneside'thereof, and confining such flame to the charge by blanketing the charge with a soft low-velocity flame directed into said furnace from at least one end'thereof.

11. A method of melting and refining a charge in an open hearth furnace, which comprises melting down a charge by intense flame of high velocity directed against at least one side of the charge, blanketing /the furnace roof to protect by a luminous flame of the delayed combustion type alternately directed from. opposite ends lengthwise of the furnace and between said roof and the furnace charge, and in refining the melted down charge. by said luminous delayed combustion type of flalne.

' LEVI S. LONGENECKER.

the same against the effector said intense flame 

